Jason’s Comments (group member since Jan 16, 2013)

Jason’s comments from the Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" group.

The Thief who went to War! Michael McClung's latest in his delightful Amra series.

Yes, indeed, thanks for sharing, S.E.!

^^^^This, this, this, thank you for wording what I'd been trying to mentally phrase and falling short. You said it so much better too, S.wagenaar! And that's why S&S doesn't need to get more popular - you either want it or you don't, and you already know whether you do or not, nothing some new-fangled marketing says will sway you.

By the by, CROSSBONES & CROSSES came out beginning of June :)

For those interested, Tor begins a Wolfe reread https://www.tor.com/2019/06/13/introd...

Yes, I have selected quite a few titles from your service, so thank you!

WEIRD BEGINNINGS, Robert E. Howard & Bobby Derie.

Phil, LOL, I enjoyed your question. I have not read any Sun books (and every time someone recommends them and I look at them I get even less interested for some reason I can't really put a finger on), but after 3 different attempts at different times in life at reading the Soldier books, I'd enthusiastically say there's not much more impenetrable and frankly lame. I did enjoy Wizard/Knight duology, but I have heard lots of people complain about it and have pretty much come to the conclusion that Wolfe fans are evenly split on whether it's considered part of his 'good' writing or not.

I'm taking it as good things, good sir! what would also be a good thing is seeing another story from you :)

Thanks, Seth, and thanks for putting this into perspective, Richard :)

I'm working on Demons now, but probably won't have it out till mid-June.

I will be reading from THE BEST OF GENE WOLFE: THE DEFINITIVE RETROSPECTIVE OF HIS FINEST SHORT FICTION. (I don't hate much, but I gotta say I hate the Goodreads phone app, very cumbersome and cannot link books! Unfortunately this is the way I access Goodreads the most. You would not believe the number of reviews I have written, sometimes more than once, and lost.)

S.wagenaar wrote: "And I just ordered the second and third books in this series...I'm surprised you didn't care for Seven Kings..."
Haven't finished just yet, but after finally hitting the good stuff at 333 pages in and being fairly confident in my ideas of what remains, I'm not in any hurry to find book 3. Though I did check out the reviews and it seems book 3 is the best of the trilogy. This is obviously a hold-things-together bridge between 1 and 3 that could have been hundreds of pages shorter.

John Fultz' SEVEN KINGS.
SEVEN PRINCES was a good read; this one is a mess. And damn, but John has it in for every woman, from betrayal by everyone (husband, brother, bro-in-law) to betraying everyone else (father, people, self) to horribly dying and committing horrible deeds. There is no 'good' female character - they're dead or turned evil. And stupidity runs large throughout.

Worth $7?!

Good stuff!

Also currently alternating between 2 non-S&S titles: mystery anthology The Comfortable Coffin (1960) and nonfiction collection If I Die in a Combat Zone (1969).

Melandrhild wrote: "Kane has a really interesting protagonist also, I was less into the slightly politic side of th..."

I should clarify - do we speak of Solomon Kane or Wagner's Kane? I think the latter, in which case - yes! he definitely needs more exposure.

Melandrhild wrote: "...also gave a try at Kane forget Cyrion - what about Kane?! ;)

I've finally actually completed a group read within the group reading period!! :)

The Barbarian Swordsmen perhaps the best Heroic Fantasy anthology I've read. Absolutely delightful.

Fun review, Al, thanks.